Euphoria from (particular) benzos...mechanism(s)?

[halfmarathon6]

benzo memory loss

Just to set the facts straight, and if you do not believe me, do a search on PubMed, or visit the medical library ata good univerity like I do amny times a week to get the facts , not just some pot-heads opinion.Benzos, have, and can cause permanant memory loss and can cause the permanent loss to learn new information involving certain neuropathways. I am not a neuroscientist, so I can't tell you whihc ones are forever damaged, but even if I could,wouldit really help you at all. Do not abuse these drugs, they are serious and can cause serious permanent brain damage. Try having an intelligent converation with soemone who has taken 10-20mg of Xanax for 10 years. Then, one hour later, ask them to recall what you talked about and you will have your proof.

 

[negrogesic]

I abused nordiazepam in the hundreds of milligrams for about 3 years, and do not appear to have suffered marked memory loss. Of course, is very hard to notice, so in otherwords there is no obvious impairment. I am a student, and as such have frequent exams requiring extensive recall. I do as well now (or better) than I did before.

However, I do concede that some permanent GABAergic brain damage has occurred as a result of the benzo abuse. This is evidenced by the fact that I am far more anxious now than I ever was, and that heightened state of withdrawal from benzo withdrawal never truly went away....

Even though it’s been years, I only feel some 96% percent better....

 

[shibireru]

The cognitive deficits caused by long-term benzodiazepine use are said to normalize within about a year. (Citation needed and not provided)

I've read also, though, that people tend to largely lack insight into the deterioration or at least the severity of it. In other words, benzodiazepines may cause cognitive deterioration and emergent anosognosia thereof.

 

[negrogesic]

^^^Certainly could be the case. I wasn't fully aware of my benzo-induced psychosis until the withdrawal began to subside.

But objectively, I still score very highly on exams with similar study habits (or relative lack thereof)...

 

[seep]

Just to set the facts straight, and if you do not believe me, do a search on PubMed, or visit the medical library ata good univerity like I do amny times a week to get the facts , not just some pot-heads opinion.Benzos, have, and can cause permanant memory loss and can cause the permanent loss to learn new information involving certain neuropathways. I am not a neuroscientist, so I can't tell you whihc ones are forever damaged, but even if I could,wouldit really help you at all. Do not abuse these drugs, they are serious and can cause serious permanent brain damage. Try having an intelligent converation with soemone who has taken 10-20mg of Xanax for 10 years. Then, one hour later, ask them to recall what you talked about and you will have your proof.

10-20mg of alprazolam qd for 10 years is quite rare.

I had a very solemn conversation with my psychiatrist today. He said that in his 35 years of practice he'd never seen irreversible memory loss in any of his patients. Then he told me something I'll never forget (I paraphrase):

Assume they did cause some permanent neurological damage. Is this a reason for you to discontinue them? Nothing else has normalized your anxiety levels in all the years I've been seeing you. I remember you before the Xanax. You were literally unable to function and you were constantly paranoid, delusional, reclusive, self-demeaning, avoidant, closeted, ruminative and altogether spooked. The lay term for this collection of symptoms is STRESS. I think you're aware of the neurological and somatic damage that incessant, acute stress causes. So take your pick: do you want to risk a modicum of memory loss and live calmly, or would you rather live a miserable and significantly shortened life in order to keep your mnemonic aptitude pristine? You have a disease. You take medicine for the disease. The medicine has mild side effects, but the untreated disease will make your life intolerable and then kill you.

 

[shibireru]

10-20mg of alprazolam qd for 10 years is quite rare.

I had a very solemn conversation with my psychiatrist today. He said that in his 35 years of practice he'd never seen irreversible memory loss in any of his patients. Then he told me something I'll never forget (I paraphrase):

Assume they did cause some permanent neurological damage. Is this a reason for you to discontinue them? Nothing else has normalized your anxiety levels in all the years I've been seeing you. I remember you before the Xanax. You were literally unable to function and you were constantly paranoid, delusional, reclusive, self-demeaning, avoidant, closeted, ruminative and altogether spooked. The lay term for this collection of symptoms is STRESS. I think you're aware of the neurological and somatic damage that incessant, acute stress causes. So take your pick: do you want to risk a modicum of memory loss and live calmly, or would you rather live a miserable and significantly shortened life in order to keep your mnemonic aptitude pristine? You have a disease. You take medicine for the disease. The medicine has mild side effects, but the untreated disease will make your life intolerable and then kill you.

Where do you live? That psychiatrist of yours actually sounded like he might be competent and perhaps even caring. The doctors and psychiatrists in my neck of the woods are frequently mystified when you use the generic names of even very common drugs. "What's citalopram?" "What's pregabalin?" "What's mirtazapine?" "What's naltrexone?" (all of these are actually questions that have been put to me by doctors/psychiatrists)

 

[seep]

Where do you live? That psychiatrist of yours actually sounded like he might be competent and perhaps even caring. The doctors and psychiatrists in my neck of the woods are frequently mystified when you use the generic names of even very common drugs. "What's citalopram?" "What's pregabalin?" "What's mirtazapine?" "What's naltrexone?" (all of these are actually questions that have been put to me by doctors/psychiatrists)

Miami.

Not to say that the city is the preeminent locus of psychiatry in the Western Hemisphere. Most of the clinics here are patient mills. But since I work in the industry and have connections, I had the chance to handpick my doc from hundreds of others (as a favor to a friend, he charges me a nominal fee). The fact that he was educated in Vienna didn't hurt.

Are you fucking serious about them asking, "What's mirtazapine? What's pregabalin? What's fucking citalopram?!" I mean, citalopram and mirtazapine have been available in generic for how many years?

 

[negrogesic]

I wonder if my tolerance to benzos are permanent. Yesterday I tried taking 2-3mg of lorazepam and only noticed mild reduction in anxiety and obsessive thoughts.

 

[MyExcuse]

when was the last time you took copious amounts of benzo's?

I swear it took at least 3 years for mine to calm down. Now if I pop 1mg of xanax, I'm cool as a cucumber and feel nearly sedated to the point of wanting to sleep. It's kind of frustrating because the sedative effect is more dominant and I will often pass out/fall asleep before gaining any euphoria (depending on the dose)...

Also amnesia seems to be more pronounced. I took 60mg of diazepam the other day (coupled with 400mg of pregabalin) and I could not tell you anything that happened for that day and part of the next. Mind you it used to take me 100mg+ to feel anything so 60mg seemed like a reasonable dose. Granted I'm sure the pregabalin had a significant impact on the intensity of the amnesia, it did not attenuate even well after the pregabalin should have worn off.

 

[crazykidck69]

Halcion baby!!!